Meaning of emotions
When acquired information matches a certain condition, the mechanism that prompts action to resolve or achieve that condition is referred to as “emotion.”
Emotions are thought to indicate the direction of actions (“I should/shouldn’t do ○○”) in response to perceiving benefits or threats in the context of survival.
The types of emotions are believed to align with the directional nature of resolution-oriented actions.
Emotions = Instinctual judgments that occur when a situation is perceived as beneficial or dangerous for survival. They prompt resolution-oriented actions.
When specific conditions are met due to acquired information,
Emotions arise to prompt actions, and prompted by those emotions, actions are taken to achieve the intended goal.
| (1) Condition is met -> (2) Emotion arises, prompting action -> (3) Think of a method and take action |
For instance, when energy is lacking, a feeling of hunger (discomfort) arises, prompting the action of consuming food. This action resolves the feeling of hunger.
| (1) Condition: Energy deficiency -> (2) Emotion: Hunger -> (3) Action: Eating food |
If there is no relationship between “emotion = direction of action,” then:
If an action is performed only once and doesn’t lead to achieving the goal, it becomes meaningless:
- × Perform an action -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Action ends -> Cannot achieve the goal
If actions are repeated without change and the method is incorrect, continuing them indefinitely won’t lead to achieving the goal:
- × Perform Action A -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Perform Action A -> Cannot achieve the goal
In essence, actions require the process of “persisting in taking action until the goal is achieved” or “continuously experimenting until the goal is achieved”:
- ○ Initiate Action A -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Initiate Action B -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Initiate Action X -> Achieve the goal -> End the action
For this reason, emotions that provide the direction for actions become necessary:
- ○ Emotion arises -> Initiate Action A -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Initiate Action B -> Cannot achieve the goal -> Initiate Action X -> Achieve the goal -> Emotion fades -> End the action
・An example of the structure of emotions and action: The presence or absence of emotions in a baby when experiencing energy deficiency (feeling hungry) for the purpose of achieving a goal (obtaining milk).
| Emotion: Absent -> One-time action and it’s done: Cry once and it’s over. |
| Emotion: Hunger (discomfort) -> Search for actions to resolve hunger (discomfort): Continuously crying, increasing the volume of cries, varying the rhythm, moving limbs, and so on. |
Emotions can broadly be categorized into “pleasure” which indicates the potential for effectiveness in one’s survival, and “displeasure” which indicates the potential for danger in one’s survival.
When the received information (sensations) matches conditions that are judged as effective for survival (pleasurable conditions), “pleasure” is felt.
When the received information (sensations) matches conditions that are judged as dangerous for survival (displeasurable conditions), “displeasure” is felt.
Instinctual differentiation: Effective for survival -> Emotion: Pleasure
Instinctual differentiation: Dangerous for survival -> Emotion: Displeasure
For example, when we find certain foods tasty, it’s because we perceive them as effective for survival, leading to an increase in the probability of survival due to the intake of beneficial nutrients.
| Information: Specific nutrients, etc. -> Condition: Effective (increase in survival probability) -> Feeling: Delicious (pleasure) |
Similarly, the stronger the feeling of hunger, the more uncomfortable it becomes.
This is because our instincts perceive a decrease in energy levels as dangerous for survival, resulting in a decrease in the probability of survival.
| Information: Increase in free fatty acids, etc. -> Condition: Hunger (decrease in survival probability) -> Feeling: Hungry (discomfort) |
Moreover, effectiveness for survival equates to pleasure, leading to a desire (emotion) to obtain more of what is beneficial, while danger to survival equates to discomfort, resulting in a desire (emotion) to eliminate the danger.
For example, when something tastes good, you feel a desire to “eat more,” and when you are hungry, you feel a desire to “relieve it quickly.”
Similarly, if something is presumed to be beneficial, the desire (emotion) to acquire it arises because obtaining it is advantageous for survival. Conversely, if something is presumed to be dangerous, the desire (emotion) to avoid it arises because dealing with it is crucial for survival.
For instance, when you see delicious-looking food, you feel a desire to “try it,” while when you see unappetizing food, you feel a desire to “avoid it.”
Conditional Emotions
Emotions that are associated with specific conditions and are triggered by those conditions are referred to as “conditional emotions.”
Conditional Emotion = Emotion that arises when certain conditions are met
For instance, when you sense that your energy is depleted, you feel “hungry (displeasure)” to prompt the action of energy intake.
Survival condition: Energy deficiency -> Conditional emotion: Feeling hungry (promoting intake action) -> Resolution action: Trying to eat something.
Similarly, if you perceive the possibility of getting injured (danger) as a ball approaches, you feel the emotion “dangerous (displeasure)” to prompt the defensive action.
Dangerous condition: Ball is coming towards you -> Conditional emotion: Feeling dangerous (promoting defense action) -> Resolution action: Closing your eyes and bracing yourself.
Likewise, when you see appetizing food on TV, you feel “want to try it (pleasure)” to prompt the action of obtaining benefits.
Beneficial condition: Seeing appetizing food on TV -> Conditional emotion: Want to try it (promoting intake action) -> Resolution action: Contemplating how to get to eat it.
Intensity of Emotion
As the acquired information fits more appropriately with the conditions, it becomes more important to take action (resolutive action) more reliably, thus intensifying the strength of the arising emotion.
For example, when a Herring Gull sees an egg protruding from the nest, it tries to put the egg back into the nest.
Condition: Egg protrudes from the nest -> Emotion: Need to return the egg to the nest -> Action: Putting the egg back into the nest.
When placing real-sized eggs and eggs that are one size larger side by side, the Herring Gull tends to prioritize putting the larger egg back into the nest.
This behavior is likely driven by the fact that the larger egg fits the conditions more effectively.
If we consider a condition of “size” for the eggs, with a specified value of “20 cm,” the stronger the reaction becomes as it approaches 20 cm – this corresponds to an increase in the intensity of the emotion and a higher likelihood of taking action.
| Condition: Eggs protruding from the nest = Condition (1) Eggs + Condition (2) Nest + Condition (3) Protruding |
| (1) Condition of Eggs: Close to a specific shape (egg-shaped) + Close to a specific size + Close to specific patterns (spots) + Close to a specific color (green) |
| (2) Condition of the Nest: Close to a specific shape + Close to a specific size + Close to specific patterns + Close to a specific color |
| (3) Condition of Eggs Protruding from the Nest: Close to a specific shape + Close to a specific size + Close to specific patterns + Close to a specific color |
*In this case, visual conditions are being referred to, but in reality, various conditions including auditory and olfactory factors may also play a role.
(Just a side note, but the reason larger eggs tend to fit the conditions better is likely due to the larger eggs having higher vitality. Prioritizing eggs with spots or the green ones is also based on the tendency for those traits to be associated with higher vitality compared to eggs without spots or those of a white color. This implies that living beings inherently possess sensory criteria for assessing vitality, and this genetic trait plays a role in distinguishing high-vitality individuals. Therefore, one could say that the secret to being liked by females is to meet the reproductive conditions – criteria for assessing high vitality – that are inherent in females.)
Humans exhibit similar behavior. For instance, a man might become sexually aroused by a woman in certain situations.
| Condition: Seeing a woman’s sexualized form in a specific situation -> Emotion: Desire to have sex -> Action: Attempt to have sex |
A man is more likely to be aroused by a nude statue of a woman than by a doll, and more by a doll than by a real naked woman. This is because the visual information more closely matches the condition for arousal.
Nude statue of a woman (slightly matches) < Nude doll (somewhat matches) < Real naked woman (more closely matches)
| Example of conditions: {Information A: Shape – Information B: Color – Information C: Texture} → Emotion |
| Nude statue of a woman: {Information A: ✓ – Information B: ✗ – Information C: ✗} → Emotion: Weak |
| Nude doll: {Information A: ✓ – Information B: ✓ – Information C: ✗} → Emotion: Moderate |
| Real naked woman: {Information A: ✓ – Information B: ✓ – Information C: ✓} → Emotion: Strong |
*Note: These conditions presented are for illustrative purposes and may vary in reality.
Indeed, as described, when acquired information fits appropriately within a condition, emotions become stronger, while emotions wouldn’t arise if the information doesn’t align with the condition.
The stronger the fit to a condition, the higher the likelihood of significance, leading to intensified emotions. Conversely, when the information doesn’t fit a condition, it becomes less significant, and emotions are less likely to arise.
Furthermore, the stronger the association, the more intense the emotion becomes.
A strong association leads to stronger emotions upon its occurrence.
Conversely, a weak association signifies lower significance, resulting in weaker emotions.
Indeed, in reality, we often experience multiple emotions simultaneously.
During such moments, the stronger emotion—reflecting a better fit with conditions and a more robust association—is more likely to take precedence.
For instance, there are times when feelings of hunger and tiredness arise concurrently. This is because you’re simultaneously receiving information that prompts both “energy intake” and “sleep.”
The emotion “hungry” becomes stronger as the type and frequency of information related to energy intake align more strongly with conditions.
Similarly, the emotion “sleepy” becomes stronger as the type and frequency of information related to sleep align more strongly with conditions.
Of these emotions, the one that better fits the conditions and has a stronger association becomes more intense, and stronger emotions tend to drive behaviors.
However, it’s important to note that actions aren’t solely determined by the strongest emotion.
Rather, actions are chosen based on what is more beneficial and helps avoid potential dangers, considering the circumstances (cognitive rational behavior).